The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1887-12-07
CACHETS AND WATERS.
The Simple Processes Employed in Their
Manufacture.

The Simple Processes Employed in Theil
Manufacture.
The recent death of Limousin, the
inventor of the wafer capsules
{cachets, capsule amylacea), sug
gests the idea of again drawing atten.
ton to the utility of this form of medi.
cation.
While it would be an improbable
undertaking for every dispensing phar'
macist 10 undertake the preparation Of
his own waters, it is believed that a
profitable business could be carried on
by at least one, or perhaps even more,
manufacturers in each country. 10 a
certain extent, the choice of this form
of medication depends somewhat upon
the rate with which its existence or
availability is kept before the memory
of the prcscribcr. 1t only needs a
slight impetus, from time to time, to
cause preference in favor of the
wafer capsule over some other forms
of medication, although it is by no
means intended to assert that this is
in all cases the best form. We be.
lieve, however. that it is, for instance,
preferable to gelatine capsules, in the
case of quinine.
Formerly, the wafer capsules were
pressed from the large square waters
Cfor which Nuremberg has long been
celebrated). At the present time, how
ever, they arc baked specially. The
cost of fitting up factory is very
small, and the arrangements required
are SIMPLE. requiring but little room
and only cheap labor The most ex-
pensive item of the whole is the forms.
These are made of two hinged pieces,
the material being either steel or
brass. One of the plates contains the
concave, the other the convex pattern
of the waters.
These forms rest upon one or moro
specially constructed ovens heated
either by gas or wood charcoal AS
soon as the opened forms, resting on
the hot oven, having acquired the
proper temperature, which is easily
recognized by allowing a drop of
water to fall upon them. a certain
quantity of mass prepared from
wheat starch is spread upon one of
the plates and the other plate gradual
ly folded over it. The latter,
through its own weight, expands
the mass so that it forms q per-
fectly uniform layer. The excess of
the mass, which is squeezed out at the
side, is simply scratched off. The
forms are then opened, and the COM
pletcly-baked sheet taken out. This
sheet contains as many half wafer
capsules as there arc patterns. When
freshly taken from the form, these
sheets are very brittle, but after being
laid aside few days, they absorb
enough moisture from the air to per-
NIT being cut or trimmed. The next
operation then is the cutting or punch
ing out of the round waters. For this
purpose there are used either simply
punches or punching machines worked |
by treadles, by means of which each
separate wafer is cut out These are
then counted and put up in packages.
A we'll trained girl is able to bake. in
one day. twenty thousand such waters,
and it requires the service of only two
girls to punch these.
The mass of which tho waters are
consists of the purest wheat
starch, mixed with water. The best
fuel is either gas or wood charcoal
There being only few requisites. ii
will be easy to calculate the cost of
lays turnout.
The whole art and mystery of the
manufacture centers in the forms,
which must be absolutely true and
perfect If the forms are not exactly
rue, tho waters will be uneven. The
east defect of the forms will be prom
nently visible upon the product.
The preparation of fiat waters, such
rs are used for making sealing waters,
acramentai waters, wafer bottoms
or gin ger cake, ETC.. is much more
imple than that of the medicinal
waters. The former are baked in sim.
lar metallic forms, which are, however,
entirely smooth inside. The thickness
If the waters depends, of course, upon
he distance Intervening between the
Hates when they are closed. -Anaeri.
an Druggist.